Human Experiences, Proximity, Augmented Reality and the Internet of Things

iBeacon: My Love is Like Chocolate for the Internet of Things

Bluetooth LE is just the start of a new world in which our devices can finally “see”. While companies like Estimote are already hybrid devices – combining an accelerometer and temperature detector to enable some fascinating uses (your shop door opens and it triggers a welcome message on a device, say), a whole range of beacons that combine different technologies are on the way.

Now if Relayr gets its wish, you’ll be able to build your own devices from component pieces and it will feel a lot like…well, like chocolate.

The Wonderbar is a Modular IOT Device

The proposed kits will make it easy for anyone to assemble their own Internet of Things sensors – and will come with a back-end system to help you manage your yummy looking device.

The proposed design comes with six powerful sensors that can be snapped together:

Light / Color / Proximity

Gyroscope / Accelerometer

Thermometer / Humidity

Ground Moisture

Motion

“Public” sensor

Modular iBeacon

The main circuit is supplemented with the snap-on modules, and the developers are looking for additional ideas to add to the chocolate pieces already planned. The main circuit is charged up with a Cortex M3, Bluetooth LE sensor and charger:

Processor: NXP LPC1837 Cortex M3

Clock Speed: 180MHz

Flash: 1024 kB

RAM: 136 kB

IO: 12 exposed GPIO pads, including 4 ADC, SPI, I2C and SDIO

WiFi: IEEE 802.11b/g/n, WPA/WPA2, full TCP/IP stack including TLS

Bluetooth LE

3.3V regulator including Li-Ion/LiPo charger

USB OTG

Relayr will include a back-end system and the team is deeply committed to using as much of an open source architecture as possible. Headed for Kickstarter in time for the holidays, I actually think this kit would make a great gift for the geeks in your life – or maybe you can ask for one yourself!

Sponsor the project when it’s up on Kickstarter and grab some real chocolate while you wait for your IOT bar to reach you in 2014: the year that the Internet of Things doesn’t just get big, it gets really really tasty looking too.

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